After Gurugram, A Proposal To Change Shimla To Shyamla

NEW DELHI -- Following the renaming of Gurgaon to Gurugram in Haryana, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has suggested that Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, should be called Shyamla.

The Times of India reported today that VHP, a right-wing organization, has also proposed renaming Dalhousie hillstation to Netaji Subhash Chander Bose and changing Shimla's historical Peterhoff building to Valmiki Sadan.

Manoj Kumar, a senior member of the VHP, has reportedly asked Governor Acharya Devvrat to consider changing the names of historical places linked with the British colonial legacy, and discuss the issue with the state government and the Centre.

While Shimla was the summer capital of the British, Lord Dalhousie served as the Governor-General of India from 1848 to 1856. Several viceroys and Governors-General lived in the Peterhoff building when India was occupied by the British.

Accusing the VHP of making "empty statements" in the run up to the 2017 Assembly Election, Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu asked why they did not make these proposals when the Bharatiya Janata Party was in power.